Tips for first time flier?

I too have arthritis and when I fly, I always ask for a bulkhead seat
which allows me to stretch my legs out more and not worry about my
seatmates climbing over me.

A bulkhead seat is the front row of seats in the section of the plane.
Being the first row, there is no one jammed in front of you and allows
you a bit more space for your legs. However, be sure to actually make
yourself regular seat reservations when you buy your ticket. Since you
can't make bulkhead seat reservations, when you arrive at the airport
(earlier than necessary), try to exchange your seatat for a bulkhead
seat as they usually don't pre-reserve these. I'd definitely check ahead
of time with your airine to be SURE they don't pre-book them though.

Then, if you want, you can get a bulkhead window seat so you can also
see out. Otherwise, I would never think of getting anything but an aisle
seat.

Also, I just returned from Halifax in July and it's a lovely place. I
found the Immigration Museum (not the actual name) to be just
fascinating. It's like the US version of Ellis Island. I didn't think
I'd enjoy it but it was a lousy rainy day and we needed something to do
inside. Wonderful choice.

Have a great first plane ride!

Susan


Kathy wrote:
Thanks Keith! I have several forms of arthritis, a muscle disorder, and
other things. I have to move around a lot even when sitting, so I always
wear loose clothes. I don't drink alcohol ... hate water but will drink it
when I must, and am meeting my best friend for the first time after a 7-year
online friendship - I plan on having a blast. I've never flown but love
anything that concerns flight - I even want to be reincarnated as a
hummingbird! Thanks a lot :-)


Wear loose comfortable clothing , avoid alcohol, drink
plenty of water and most important of all have fun.





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"Kathy" wrote in message
...
Thanks Keith! I have several forms of arthritis, a muscle disorder, and
other things. I have to move around a lot even when sitting, so I always
wear loose clothes.

"Pan" wrote in message
...
(4) I saw a recommendation that you get an aisle seat, but I'd
recommend a window seat. Actually, I always request window seats, but
especially on your first flight, you'll want to see what land looks
like from a plane.

Coach seats on airlines these days have much less room
than one would imagine. Less leg room than your average bus.
If get a window seat to stand up you need to climb over two
people, or they need to get up and line up in a very small aisle.
I don't know what you mean by moving around a lot even
when sitting, but stretching out legs and such may only be
possible in aisle seats. I'm 5'2, and I can't stretch my legs
under the seat in front of me. With an aisle seat you can
stretch into the aisle while the seatbelt sign is on.

That said, it may be hard to pick a window or aisle
anyway. Seat assignments left on departure day are
mostly middle seats, so get there early.

"Kathy" wrote in message
...
Thanks Keith! I have several forms of arthritis, a muscle disorder, and
other things. I have to move around a lot even when sitting, so I always
wear loose clothes.

"Pan" wrote in message
...
(4) I saw a recommendation that you get an aisle seat, but I'd
recommend a window seat. Actually, I always request window seats, but
especially on your first flight, you'll want to see what land looks
like from a plane.

Coach seats on airlines these days have much less room
than one would imagine. Less leg room than your average bus.
If get a window seat to stand up you need to climb over two
people, or they need to get up and line up in a very small aisle.
I don't know what you mean by moving around a lot even
when sitting, but stretching out legs and such may only be
possible in aisle seats. I'm 5'2, and I can't stretch my legs
under the seat in front of me. With an aisle seat you can
stretch into the aisle while the seatbelt sign is on.

That said, it may be hard to pick a window or aisle
anyway. Seat assignments left on departure day are
mostly middle seats, so get there early.

Cathy Kearns wrote:

Coach seats on airlines these days have much less room
than one would imagine. Less leg room than your average bus.
If get a window seat to stand up you need to climb over two
people, or they need to get up and line up in a very small aisle.
I don't know what you mean by moving around a lot even
when sitting, but stretching out legs and such may only be
possible in aisle seats. I'm 5'2, and I can't stretch my legs
under the seat in front of me. With an aisle seat you can
stretch into the aisle while the seatbelt sign is on.

That's an interesting comment in light of the current discussion about
oversized passengers. If someone who is shorter than average cannot be
comfortably seated it is hard to justify charging extra for larger passengers.

That said, it may be hard to pick a window or aisle
anyway. Seat assignments left on departure day are
mostly middle seats, so get there early.

I always like to have a window seat and it surprises me that there is not a
bigger rush for them. Most of the people I know prefer not to be by the
window. I don't understand it. I love to look out and see where we are, though
much of the time we just seem to be up above clouds.

In article ,
"Kathy" wrote:

Hello! If all goes well I will be traveling from Atlanta, GA to Halifax,
Nova Scotia, in a few months. The only traveling I've done is private car,
or once by bus. Any tips, hints, information, websites, etc. that you can
give me to help make this fun instead of a huge headache, I would really
appreciate it!

Traveling by air is not a big deal. Once you board the plane, you sit
and relax and wait until the flight arrives at the destination, but there
are a few things to be mindful of that are unique to air travel.

Two tips that come to mind a

1) Carry all valuables on the plane with you, and that includes
any prescription medicine.

2) Check the http://www.tsa.gov web site for information on what
is permitted to carry with you and what must be checked.

Hello! If all goes well I will be traveling from Atlanta, GA to Halifax,
Nova Scotia, in a few months. The only traveling I've done is private
car,
or once by bus. Any tips, hints, information, websites, etc. that you
can
give me to help make this fun instead of a huge headache, I would really
appreciate it!

Your biggest hassle might be negotiating the Atlanta airport, especially now
that they are tearing up the area around the North terminal. Taking MARTA
directly into the airport is always the best option. Give me a holler if you
have any questions about navigation within the airport. It can be confusing
nowadays.

Sarah

Hello! If all goes well I will be traveling from Atlanta, GA to Halifax,
Nova Scotia, in a few months. The only traveling I've done is private
car,
or once by bus. Any tips, hints, information, websites, etc. that you
can
give me to help make this fun instead of a huge headache, I would really
appreciate it!

Your biggest hassle might be negotiating the Atlanta airport, especially now
that they are tearing up the area around the North terminal. Taking MARTA
directly into the airport is always the best option. Give me a holler if you
have any questions about navigation within the airport. It can be confusing
nowadays.

Sarah

Hello! If all goes well I will be traveling from Atlanta, GA to Halifax,
Nova Scotia, in a few months. The only traveling I've done is private
car,
or once by bus. Any tips, hints, information, websites, etc. that you
can
give me to help make this fun instead of a huge headache, I would really
appreciate it!

Your biggest hassle might be negotiating the Atlanta airport, especially now
that they are tearing up the area around the North terminal. Taking MARTA
directly into the airport is always the best option. Give me a holler if you
have any questions about navigation within the airport. It can be confusing
nowadays.

Sarah

Shawn Hearn wrote:
In article ,
"Kathy" wrote:


Hello! If all goes well I will be traveling from Atlanta, GA to Halifax,
Nova Scotia, in a few months. The only traveling I've done is private car,
or once by bus. Any tips, hints, information, websites, etc. that you can
give me to help make this fun instead of a huge headache, I would really
appreciate it!

Arrive at airport in plenty of time- if you've never flown, there's a
lot of interesting activity to watch out on the field.

Have a snack, and drink fluids. The current food on short trips is
often pretty meager, and the air in the cabin tends to dry you out.

Keep your boarding pass, photo ID, etc handy- my wife uses a small
document case that hangs around her neck, so its reachable but almost
impossible to lose. I stick everything in the same shirt or sportcoat
pocket on every trip.

Make sure your carry-on is within the size limits (not really hard as
the luggage industry pretty much knows the rules, but storage space on
many planes is pretty tight). A woman's purse is not considered a
"carry-on"- bring a big one for extra stuff.

You can't have knives or other sharp objects in your carry-on or on a
keychain. TSA strictness varies a bit, so put all this stuff in your
checked bags.

Security is mostly delay, and reasonably friendly. You may well be
asked to remove your shoes (many brands have steel stiffeners in them)
or a belt with a large buckle.

If you're carrying a cell phone, PDA, Discman or such, make sure you've
got a specific place to put in and check it on landing- I know a lot of
people who have lost these small "slippery" things while flying.

Once you are through security, there may be time to kill, with a limit
to what you can do, and no one who came with you is permitted in this
area. Bring something to read (Atlanta, however, is pretty good so far
as having newstands and food and drink available in the secure zones).

Once airborn, look out the windows! Its really quite fascinating to see
the world like a map (particularly as you will be passing over the
Atlantic coast a couple of times), and the view makes the motion of the
airplane easier to understand. Some people should NOT read while in
motion, as it triggers motion sickness.

Be prepared for a lot of noise on takeoff- the runway will seem quite
bumpy. The plane also makes a lot of internal noises- folding and
opening the landing gear, changes in the air conditioning, and other
mechanical noises- they're a bit alarming until you get used to them,
but are not any sort of problem.

Have a good trip!

jchase wrote:

Shawn Hearn wrote:

In article ,
"Kathy" wrote:

Hello! If all goes well I will be traveling from Atlanta, GA to
Halifax,
Nova Scotia, in a few months. The only traveling I've done is
private car,
or once by bus. Any tips, hints, information, websites, etc. that
you can
give me to help make this fun instead of a huge headache, I would really
appreciate it!

Arrive at airport in plenty of time- if you've never flown, there's a
lot of interesting activity to watch out on the field.

Have a snack, and drink fluids. The current food on short trips is
often pretty meager, and the air in the cabin tends to dry you out.

Keep your boarding pass, photo ID, etc handy- my wife uses a small
document case that hangs around her neck, so its reachable but almost
impossible to lose. I stick everything in the same shirt or sportcoat
pocket on every trip.

Make sure your carry-on is within the size limits (not really hard as
the luggage industry pretty much knows the rules, but storage space on
many planes is pretty tight). A woman's purse is not considered a
"carry-on"- bring a big one for extra stuff.

The "personal item" such as a purse will have the same size & weight
limitations as the carry on item on most airlines.

You can't have knives or other sharp objects in your carry-on or on a
keychain. TSA strictness varies a bit, so put all this stuff in your
checked bags.

Security is mostly delay, and reasonably friendly. You may well be
asked to remove your shoes (many brands have steel stiffeners in them)
or a belt with a large buckle.

If you're carrying a cell phone, PDA, Discman or such, make sure you've
got a specific place to put in and check it on landing- I know a lot of
people who have lost these small "slippery" things while flying.

Once you are through security, there may be time to kill, with a limit
to what you can do, and no one who came with you is permitted in this
area. Bring something to read (Atlanta, however, is pretty good so far
as having newstands and food and drink available in the secure zones).

Once airborn, look out the windows! Its really quite fascinating to see
the world like a map (particularly as you will be passing over the
Atlantic coast a couple of times), and the view makes the motion of the
airplane easier to understand. Some people should NOT read while in
motion, as it triggers motion sickness.

Be prepared for a lot of noise on takeoff- the runway will seem quite
bumpy. The plane also makes a lot of internal noises- folding and
opening the landing gear, changes in the air conditioning, and other
mechanical noises- they're a bit alarming until you get used to them,
but are not any sort of problem.

Have a good trip!